“When your coworkers like you, everything becomes easier,” he says. “People have your back when you need it the most, you can ask for and get favors more easily, people will volunteer to help in times of need, and you can get far better cooperation even across departments.”

Being well-liked will boost your morale, which in turn will make you more productive, focused, creative, and successful in everything you do, he says.

Here are 17 subtle signs your coworkers secretly hate you. Keep in mind that you may just be misreading their body language or tone — the workplace is certainly not immune to human misunderstanding and no one’s a mind reader.

But if you notice you’re the only victim of these behaviors, it probably means they don’t like you.

1. Your gut tells you they don’t like you.Shutterstock

If you feel like your coworkers don’t like you, it could just be in your head, but it could also be true. If they treat you differently than everyone else, you’re probably not their favorite person. Trust your gut and continue looking for other signs if you have a strong feeling about this.

3. They can’t maintain eye contact with you.

It’s difficult to look someone straight in the eye when you don’t like or respect them, says Taylor. If you notice your colleagues avoid eye contact while speaking with you, those are probably the reasons.

“They’re afraid that you may be able to detect hostility, so the path of least resistance is for them to look away or avoid being around you wherever possible,” Taylor suggests.

3. They don’t smile when you’re around.

We’re not talking about the occasional bad day or mood swing. If your coworkers make a conscious effort not to smile when you’re in the room, something isn’t right.